Some time ago I wrote about George Robb, who was born in Glasgow in 1806. His mother was Penelope Thomson and his father was another George Robb (born 1769), a Glasgow merchant and the older brother of my great-great-great-grandfather Charles Edward Stuart Robb.

George Robb junior started his working life as a (law) writer, then became a veterinary surgeon, and finally retired to live on his inheritance. He married his cousin, Jane Sharp Thomson, in 1831 and they had three children: George Meikleham (1883), Jane (1834) and Penelope Ann Boyd (1840). I haven’t been able to find out what became of young Jane, but the other two children remained unmarried.

The family moved from Glasgow to Saltcoats, and later down to Essex, where they lived first in Chingford, then at Great Bromley, and finally at Mistley near Manningtree. Penelope appears to have remained with her parents until their deaths, while George Meikleham Robb moved to the Lake District and became an artist.

Bowness, Windermere in the late 19th century

I’ve recently come across records for George, Jane and George junior in the National Probate Calendar. George Robb senior died in 1879, at the age of 73, and his entry reads as follows:

George Robb: Personal Estate under £3000. 18 April.

Administration of the Personal Estate of George Robb late of Mistley Abbey Mistley in the County of Essex Gentleman who died 7 February 1879 at Mistley Abbey was granted at Ipswich to Jane Robb of Mistley Widow the Relict.

Jane died five years later, aged 70:

Jane Robb: Personal Estate £656 3s. 4d. 18 June.

The Will of Jane Robb late of Mistley Manningtree in the County of Essex Widow who died 23 April 1884 at Mistley was proved at the Principal Registry by George Meikleham Robb of Bowness in the County of Westmoreland Artist the Son of the sole Executor.

Mistley Quay, Essex

Son George outlived his parents by only a few years, dying in 1891 at the age of 58:

George Meikleham Robb: Personal Estate £2,343 4s 8d. 8 July.

Administration of the Personal Estate of George Meikleham Robb late of Bowness Windermere in the County of Westmoreland Artist a Bachelor who died 4 May 1891 at Bowness was granted at Carlisle to Penelope Ann Boyd Robb of Mistley near Manningtree in the County of Essex Spinster the Sister and only Next of Kin.

That left only Penelope, as far as we can tell. She was still in Mistley in 1891, but she died in Ipswich in 1900, at the age of 60. I’ve been unable to find any trace of Penelope in the National Probate Calendar.

I’m planning to revisit this branch of the Robb family in some future posts. I still believe that finding out more about George Robb, Glasgow merchant, might help to fill in some of the gaps in the story of my 3 x great grandfather Charles.